Journalists protest legislators

JAKARTA: Dozens of journalists protested on Friday against a House of Representatives Commission, which summoned three editors after its members were questioned by journalists about a possible graft story.

The House of Representatives' Commission III for legal affairs on Friday summoned the editors of two daily newspapers and two radio stations.

The journalists demanded that the Commission III for legal affairs apologize and promise not to make similar summonses in the future.

The editors were summoned after lawmaker Djoko Eddie Soetjipto said he had been interviewed by reporters from the four media about an alleged bribery case involving Commission III members.

The editors of the Batavia daily, Elshinta radio, and Trijaya radio attended the summonses on Thursday, but the editor of the Suara Pembaruan newspaper did not show up.

The three editors said they had never published any reports about any alleged bribery that took place during a recent auction of illegally smuggled sugar. -- JP